TESTT Space
Location: North Road, Durham City
Dates: February 2017 - June 2021
Project overview
TESTT Space Was a visual arts hub in Durham city centre providing studios and resources for a community of 20+ professional artists. A former council office that was sitting empty for over a decade and located directly above Durham Bus Station the space had a limited shelf-life ahead of the major redevelopment of North Road.
As well as supporting individual practitioners and collectives the venue was a site for experimentation and acted as an ongoing developmental space for Empty Shop as an organisation. As such TESTT Space was always a work in progress and adapted throughout its four year run.
Assets
TESTT: Experimenting, Inspiring, Changing.
– Dr Hazel Donkin, Dr Martyn Hudson and Lily Arnold.
The stages of TESTT Space
Phase 1
TESTT Space was initially set up with the following resources:
- Self contained studio spaces for a range of practising artists at various stages in their arts career.
- A student art studio for Durham University students, delivered in partnership with Culture Durham.
- 3 gallery spaces catering to artists at each stage of their career i.e. community and early stage, emerging and established
- A 12 month programme of guest curated exhibitions
- Residency space for University of the Arts London students and graduates
- Black box space for performance and film screening
Phase 2
- Reduced gallery spaces and an occasional exhibitions and events programme.
- In response to demand, an increase in self contained studio spaces for a range of practising artists at various stages in their arts career.
- A student art studio for Durham University students, delivered in partnership with Culture Durham.
- More prominent communal work, social and event space for members.
- Hotdesking resources and networking event for the wider creative community
- Dark room facilities
Phase 3
- Full commitment to the idea of the building as an artist studio featuring self contained studio spaces for a range of practising artists at various stages in their arts career.
- An improved student art studio for Durham University students, delivered in partnership with Culture Durham. The new area was placed centrally in the building and open plan, to encourage crossover and interaction between the student studio members and everyone else in the building.
- More prominent communal work, social and event space for members.
- Dark room facilities.
